Disassemblable ski



Patented Sept. 24, 1963 3,104,888 DlSASSEft/BLABLE SKI William B. Day, 1114 Lane Place, St. Paul 6, Minn., and Robert H. Day, Mapiewood, Minn. (lwonarch, Mont.) Filed .lune 15, 1960, Ser. No. 36,213 4 Claims. (Cl. 23S-11.13)

The present invention relates to a novel ski construction, whereby the ski can kbe disassembled at approximately its mid-point to facilitate carrying and handling of the ski. l,

The concept of having a ski which can be separated in the middle and carried in two pieces, or folded upon itself about a mid-point so that it can be stored in a small space, and the advantages attendant such a disassemblable ski, are not new. Over the past years several patents have issued relating to this general concept. See, for example, Alterfer Patent No. 2,198,361, granted April 23, 1940; Svensson Patent No. 2,375,504, granted May 8, 1945; Beaudin Patent No. 2,450,538, granted October 5, 1948; and Meehan Patent No. 2,545,209, granted March 13, 1951.

Also, in recent years many types of ski bindings and harness for attaching skis to the boots of the skier have been devised.` Among these are many `so-called safety bindings by which the binding automatically releases from the boot if subjected to a sharp jerk or twist, such as when the skier falls. These various bindings and harness take many shapes. They attach to the ski at various places adjacent where the boot of the skier rests on the ski. For example, they may be attached forwardly of the boot, rearwardly of the boot, or alongside the boot. Where the binding involves the use of cables, throw clamps may be positioned alongside of the boot, or forwardly or rearwardly thereof.

It is highly desirable to the marketability and practicability of a present day ski that the same be adapted to -be used with any of the various types of ski bindings or harness. This necessitates that the ski be substantially free of projections along the upper surface or sides thereof.

One principal difficulty with the various prior art suggestions, including those structures described in the prior patents above referred to, pis that their assembling mechanisms involve projections extending exteriorly of the ski adjacent where the boot rests on the ski. While these projections or projecting parts might not prohibit or engagement and disengagement occurs by the throwing of an adjustable single throw lever. j

The manner in which these and other advantages and objects` of the present invention are attained will be apparent from the following description of an illustrative FIGURE l is a general view in perspective of a ski utilizingthe present invention; y. K

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view in perspective showing -(FIG-URE 6).

the mating disassemblable parts 'utilized in the FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the mating disassembla-Vl ble part-sin their mating closed relation;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal section view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the ski partially in section taken generally along the lines 5--5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines -6--6 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings, our novel disassemblable ski is seen to comprise a forward ski end portion 1t? having an upwardly curved tip like a conventional ski and a rear end ski portion '111 shaped like the rearward half of a conventional ski. At their respective inner ends, forward ski portion 10 and rearward ski portion 11 are permanently xed, respectively, to forward mating mem ber 12 and rearward mating member y13. Said forward mating member i12 is aflixed to ski end 10 through a channel V14 having upwardly convergent side walls into which the end of forward ski end portion y extends. Similarly, rearward mating member 13 is provided with a rear channel 16 having upwardly convergent side walls 17 into which ski end 11 extends. Y

The ski ends can be permanently affixed to their respective mating members in any fashion desired, or, as is apparent, the ski ends and its mating member can be combined into a single part. lForward mating member 12 is also provided. at its mating end with an open end channel 18, the-side walls 19 of which converge toward each other away from the open end thereof,y and also converge toward each other in the upward .direction The inner end of the channel 114 into which forward ski end portion 10 sets is provided with a rectangular central projection 25.' Within said projection 25 the inner end of channel l1-8 is provided with a rectangular recess 26, said recess being sufficiently deep iny the forward direction so that itA extends forwardly of therearmost portion of channel 14. lIn this fashion, a

throw clamp mechanism 311 is pivotally attached to said v pin, as shortly to be described.

The side walls 32 of the forward mating member `12 adjacent the open end of channel 18 are each provided with a notch extending horizontallytherethrough, the lower surface of said notches 33 being Hush with the door 34 of said channel 18. The closed inner end of channel 18, adjacent the side walls 19 and flush with floor 34, is also provided with a pair ofmortise' slots 35 of generally rectangular cross-section. f.

' Rearward mating member 1X3, at the free (mating)V end thereof defines a tongue 36 shaped lin all respects so as to mate with channel 18 of forward mating member 12. That is, said tongue is provided with side walls 37 which converge -forwardly'and which converge in the upward direction, said side walls dovetailingsecurelyl with the i side walls 19 of channel 18 of lthe -forward mating member 12. Where tongueV 36 joins the mainportion of rearf Ward mating member 13,` shoulders 38 are dened which complement the kends of Vside walls 119 of mating meniber 12. Projections 39 are provided ony said' shoulders which are conformedpto lit within notches Simiilarly, projections 40 are provided on the 'free end face oftne36, r" f' embodiment of our invention, the description including- 5, o gu Sald p Clemons mating Wlth* the momse slots 35 in the end of channel 18.

`It will be seen rthat when the end 36' is slid into channel 18 Aso that membersk 12 and 1B are in their mating relation, side walls 37 of said free end bear against side` walls 119 of channell 1f8,\projections 3-9 extend vwithin.' gnotdhes 33j, and projections '40` extend into 'depressions 35. Thus, the mating members 12 and -1-3 are'rmly snogsss n C* and securely held together against any torsional or bending force applied. thereto. For example, the dovetailed side walls 37 and 19, together with the projections 40 and 39, rmly resist separation of the ski ends when the ends are bent downwardly. Short of being broken, it is only by pulling the two mating members 12 and 13 apart lengthwise that they can be separated.

When the ski is assembled, only a single line trans- VVerse line, defined by the abutting sur-faces 42 and 43 of members 12 and 13, respectively (FIGURE 4), appears on the running surface.

r[lhe free end 36 of mating member 1G is provided with a longitudinal opening 44 extending entirely therethrough and having generally parallel side walls 45 and a curved inner end 46. A horizontal pin St) extends between the side walls 45 of said slot 44, said pin being embedded within tongue 3-6.

Referring particular-ly to FIGURE 4, as previously mentioned, a throw clamp mechanism is pivotally attached to pin 30 embedded within lforward mating member 12. This throw clamp mechanism comprises a for-k ward bracket 51 and a lever support 52. Said` bracket 51 and lever support 52 are held together, as shown, by bolt 53, and areseparated by spacing shims 54. Pivotally axed to the free end of lever support 52 is eccentric lever 55. Said eccentric *lever is provided at its inner end with a pair of opposed spaced notched arms 56.

Bracket 51 and lever support 52 are of such dimensions (together with the thickness of spacing shims 54) that when the mating members 12. and13 are in iassembled mating relationship the throw clamp mechanism 31 can be pivoted downwardly within slot 44 in the mating member 13 so that the notched arms 56 engage the pin 56 of said rearward mating member 13. The throw lever is then pushed downwardly so that the pivotal point about which it is iixed to lever support 52 extends below a direct line extended between pins 50 and 3th Lever support 52 is bent slightly, as shown, to accommodate this relationship. Thus, any amount of pull will not cause the throw lever 55 from becoming disengaged unless the Ifree end thereof is lirst lifted upwardly.4 When solifted, however, it is readily disengaged and the mating members are readily separated.

Where adjustment of the clamp mechanism is desired, by simply removing bolt 53, additional shims 2'4 can be added, or shims removed, as necessary to lengthen or s'horten the mechanism. Bolt 53 is then reinserted.

binding mechanism can be employed with our novel dis,

assemblable ski. A n

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the ski halves are readily assembled-bysimply sliding the mating members 12 and 16 into the mating relationship and clamping down throw clamp mechanism 31. No further manipulations are needed.V When it is desired to kdisassemble the skis, the reverse procedure is followed. That is, thethro-w Yclamp mechanism 3-1 is disengaged from pin 50 and the skiV halves simply pulled apart. While in the embodiment shown, the tongue-containing mating member constitutes the rear member 13 and the channeledmember constitutes forward kmating member 12, these can be reversed. And as previously noted, it is not necessary thatseparate mating members y12 and 13 be employed. Instead, if desired, the inner ends ofthe two ski halves themselves may be conformed to the shape of the mating members.

Having now described our invention with the aid of a specific illustrative embodiment, Yequivalent structures undoubtedly will suggest themselves. However, it not our intention to be limited to the specilic embodiment shown, but instead we intend to be limited only by the specification taken as la. whole, including the appended claims. y Y

l. A d-isassemblable ski comprising forward and rear-V ward ski ends, said forward and rearward ends joining together through abuttingmating inner end members, the general cross-sectional shape of said forward and rearward ski ends continuing through said inner end members whenvjoined in mating relation, one ofsaid inner` end members containing in the upper surface thereof an open end channel having converging sidewalls, the other of said inner end members having a tongue: slidable in and out of said channel, the side walls of said tongue being contoured to mate with saidV convergent side wal-'ls of said channel with said mating side walls retaining said ski ends together against torsional and bending forces when said'inner end members Yare joined in mating relation, and longitudinally movable cooperating releasable means in said mating members for releasably retaining said members in joined mating relationship under longitudinalV tension, said means when in retaining position being conned entirely Within the cony fines of said cross-sectional shape.

2. A disassemblable ski comprising forward and rear` with the genera-ll cross-sectional shape of said forward and rearward ski ends continuing through said matingV members, one of said mating members being provided in the upper surface thereof with an open end channel, the side walls of said channel converging both upwardly and longitudinally away from the open end thereof, the other of said mating members having a tongue slidable in and out of said channel, the side walls of said tongue closely mating and dovetai'ling with-the side walls of said channel with said mating side walls retaining said ski ends together against torsional and bending forces when k said inner end members are joined in mating relation,

kan iopening on said tongue adjoining said channel, co-

operative adjustable releasable clamp means cooperatively disposed in said channel and said opening-for clamping said mating members together under longitudinall tension, said clamp means when in clamping posi` tion being defined entirely within the connes of said,

cross-sectional shape.

3. lFor use in disassemblable skis, a pair of matingr members,`said mating members joining in abutting relation atwtheir mating ends to dene a generally rectangular cross-section and being adapted at their other ends` lfor amxation to ski ends, one of said mating members being provided on the upper surface thereof` with a fdinallly awayl from the open end thereof, the other of said mating members having a tongue slidable in `and i out ofv said channel, the side walls fof said tongue closely mating and dovetailing with the sidev Walls of said channel with said mating side walls retaining said mating members together against torsional Yand bending forces when in mating relation, an opening on said tongue adtudinal tension, said clamp means when in clamping 'posh tion beingconiined entirely within the contines of said cross-sectional shape.

4', For use in disassemblable skis, a pair of mating members, said mating members joining in abutting relation at their mating ends ,to define a generally rectangular cross-section and being adapted at their other ends for aiixation to ski ends, one of said mating members being provided lon its upper surface at the mating end thereof with 4an open end channel having converging side walls, the other of said mating members having a tongue slidable in and out of said channel, the side walls of said tongue being contoured to mate with said convergent side Walls of said channel with said mating side walls retaining said mating members together against torsional and bending forces when in mating relation, and longitudinally movable cooperating releasable means in said mating members for releasably retaining said members in joined mating relationship under longitudinal tension, said means when in retaining position being confined entirely within the confines of said cross-sectional shape.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,387,061 -Erickson Oct. 16, 1945 2,545,209' Meehan Mar. 13, 1951 2,648,543 Grabowski Aug. 11, 1953 2,832,446 Smith et ai. Apr. 29, 1958 FOREGN PATENTS 80,233 Norway May ,12, 19,52 80,543 Switzerland Mar. 17, 1919 837,166 France Nov. 3, 1939 20,645 Austria July 10, 1905 754,108 Germany Apr. 9, 1953 

1. A DISASSEMBLABLE SKI COMPRISING FORWARD AND REARWARD SKI ENDS, SAID FORWARD AND REARWARD ENDS JOINING TOGETHER THROUGH ABUTTING MATING INNER END MEMBERS, THE GENERAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE OF SAID FORWARD AND REARWARD SKI ENDS CONTINUING THROUGH SAID INNER END MEMBERS WHEN JOINED IN MATING RELATION, ONE OF SAID INNER END MEMBERS CONTAINING IN THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF AN OPEN END CHANNEL HAVING CONVERGING SIDE WALLS, THE OTHER OF SAID INNER END MEMBERS HAVING A TONGUE SLIDABLE IN AND OUT OF SAID CHANNEL, THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID TONGUE BEING CONTOURED TO MATE WITH SAID CONVERGENT SIDE WALLS OF SAID CHANNEL WITH SAID MATING SIDE WALLS RETAINING SAID SKI ENDS TOGETHER AGAINST TORSIONAL AND BENDING FORCES WHEN SAID INNER END MEMBERS ARE JOINED IN MATING RELATION, AND LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE COOPERATING RELEASABLE MEANS IN SAID MATING MEMBERS FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID MEMBERS IN JOINED MATING RELATIONSHIP UNDER LONGITUDINAL TENSION, SAID MEANS WHEN IN RETAINING POSITION BEING CONFINED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE. 